Method of treating hides.



UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JOHN WARD, OF WEST PHILADELPHIA, PENN YLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM HTJAGKSON AND ONE-FOURTH TO SH RMAN T. MOYER, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD or TREATING ianms.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov; 3, 1908.

Application filed February 24, 1908. Serial No. 417,375.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM JOHN WARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vlest Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and "improved Method of Treating Hides, of which the following is a full, clear-,aud exact description.

My invention relates to the treatment of hides or leather, preliminary to the tanning process, for the purpose of removing hair and grease, and of ultimately improving the quality of the leather to be made.

I.mix together in one vessel, 8 gallons (approximately 84 pounds) of water, with 20 poundsof lime, byweight, so that the lime is thoroughly slaked, and, as far as possible, dissolved. For this purpose I cmploy so-called wood-burned lime. In a separate vessel I dissolve 10 ounces of sulfate of iron (coppcras) in 2 gallons (approximately 17 pounds) of water, and add the solution to the lime solution, admixing the same thoroughly together. I next add 25 gallons of cold water. Into the mixture thus prepared and as soon thereafter as possible I place the hides and allow them to remain for a period varying from 24thours to 16 days. The hides are then removed and are ready to be unhaired in the usual way. The variation in the period of time required for treating the hides in the liquid as just described, depends upon many factors, the shorter time usually being re quircd when the liquid is freshly prepared.

Preparatory to placing the hides in the liquid they are soaked and milled in the usual way. After treatment by my process they are washed thoroughly. This washing does not r move from the hides any of the valuable materials usually lost in washing, so that nothing but dirt is removed by the step of washing.

I find that hides treated in the manner above described make plumper leather and that the latter does not pipe with the grain, and that the quality of the leather produced is much better than usual, the weight of the latter being conserved in a certain materials which would otherwise be removed by washing.

The proportions above given are some what arbitrary but they give better-results than any othep proportions I have yet ascertained.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The method herein described of treating hides preparatory to tanning the same, which consists in subjecting said hides to the action of a li uid containing the results of the reaction 0 lime and sulfate of iron before the reaction has proceeded to its ultimate stage. i

2. The method herein described of treating hides, preparatory to tanning the same, which consists in forming a solution of lime in one vessel and a solution of sulfate of iron in a separate vessel, then adding the solution of sulfate of iron and the solution of lime, and subjecting the hides to the result of said solutions before the reaction has proceeded to its ultimate stage.

3. The method herein described of treating hides, preparatory to tanning the sartne, which consists in subjecting the hides to he action of a liquid containing the result of the reaction of 8-1 pounds of water to 20,

pounds of lime, and 10/16 of a pound of sulfate of iron before the reaction has proceeded to its ultimate stage.

4. The method herein described of treating hides, preparatoryto tanning the same, which consists in subjecting said hides to the action of a liquid containing the results of the r aiction of an alkaline substance and sulfate of iron before the action has proceeded to its ultimate stage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM JOHN WARD.

W'itnesses JAMES H. TAWNEY, A. M. GORDON. 

